Article detailing the specifically Christian Kabbala certified before and during the reformation by theologians and normalized for the faith.

Its acceptance in Christianity as the authentic source for all religion and philosophy was universal.
Hermeticism was the sacred knowledge of the Egyptian prophet predating Moses. It foretold the coming of the Logos. In the text Pimander it reinterprets Genesis from a creational account to one that agreed with the cabalists, which were manifestationalist and no longer creationist.

Helmont, Franciscus Mercurius van (1614-1699):

A Cabbalistical DIALOGUE IN ANSWER To the Opinion of a Learned Doctor in Philosophy and Theology, THAT THE WORLD WAS MADE OF NOTHING. As it is Contained in the Second Part of the Cabbala Denudata & Apparatus in Lib. Sohar, p. 308. &cc. Printed in Latin at Sultsbach, Anno 1677.

To which is subjoyned A Rabbinical and Paraphrastical Exposition of Genesis I. written in High-Dutch by the Author of the foregoing Dialogue, first done into Latin, but now made English. LONDON, Printed for Benjamin Clark in George-Yard in LombardStreet, Bookseller, M DCL XXXII. AD FUNDAMENTA CABBAL. .to-P.do-Meliss.. DIALOGUS Compilator. Cabbalistica Catechumenus, in Kabbalah denudata, Tom I, Pars secunda, pp. 308-313.- For these are our Positions.

1. That the Creator first brings into being spiritual Nature
2. And that either arbitrarily [when he pleased;] or conditionally, as he continually understands, generates, &c.

3. That some of these Spirits, for some certain cause of reason, are slipt down from the state of knowing, of Penetrating, or of moving into a state of impenetration.

4. That these Monades or single Beings being now become spiritless or dull, did cling or come together after various manners. 5. That this coalition or clinging together, so long as it remains such, is called matter. 6. That, out of this matter, all things material do consist, which yet shall in time return again to a more loosned and free state. No contradiction is involved in all these. Hence the Creator may also be said to be the efficient cause of all things materiated or made material, although not immediately.

The texts taught the Divine knowledge. Man is capable of discovering the divine intellect and able to find out the secrets of Heaven. The recovered texts were mentioned by both St. Augustine and the patristic father Lactantius as authentic.

In the Tabula smaragdina the philosopher is taught that the Divine reflects into the lives of men, and man could affect the Divine. Man in essence was infused with Divinity. “You are light and life, like God the Father of whom Man was born. If therefore you learn to know yourself . . . you will return to life. Man was a divine, creative, immortal essence in union with a body, and man reborn “will be god, the son of God, all in all, composed of all Powers.”

“Our true and genuine wisdom can be summed up as the knowledge of God and the knowledge of ourselves.”—John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion

These ancient writings verified the writings of the ancient philosophers as being divinely inspired. The mysticisms associated were authentic paths of enlightenment. Science and mysticism crossed and became alchemy.

As stated the acceptance of these texts spread across Europe like wildfire.

Shown below in the quote from the Theologian Henry More’s book, and then his letter this was a normal expression through this time frame. Within its context his statement that “it is highly removed above the conceit of the vulgar” is the understanding that it was for the educated, the adept, and not the common man. In his letter that follows he acknowledges that it leans on the knowledge and mysticism of the ancient philosophers. He is a reform theologian.

HENRY MORE Fellow of Christ’s College in Cambridge. LONDON, Printed by James Flesher,and are to be sold by William Morden Bookseller in Cambridge, 1653.

Let us now take a general view of this whole Cabbala, and more summarily consider the strength thereof; which we may refer to these two heads, viz. the nature of the Truths herein contained, and the dignity of these persons that have owned them in foregoing Ages. And as for the Truths themselves, first, they are such as may well become so holy and worthy a person as Moses, if he would Philosophize; they being very precious and choice Truths. And very highly removed above the conceit of the vulgar, and so the more likely delivered to him, or to Adam first by God for a special mysterie.

Secondly, they are such, that the more they are examined, the more irrefutable they will be found, so Hypothesis that was ever yet propounded to men, so exquisitely well agreeing with the Phenomena of Nature, the Attributes of God, the Passages of Providence, and the rational Faculties of our own minds.

Thirdly, there is a continued sutablenesse and applicability to the Text of Moses all along, without any force or violence done to Grammar or Criticisme.

Fourthly and lastly, there is a great usefulnesse, if not necessity, at least of some of them, they being such substantial Props of Religion, and great encouragements to a sedulous]purification of our mindes, the study of true piety.

“(HENRY MORE TO ANNE CONWAY, in Conway Letters, collected by Marjorie Hope

Nicolson, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1930: page 83)

Though the Conceptions in the Cabbala be most what my own, yett I do what I can in myDefense to gette Godfathers all along to these births of my own braine, and so to lessen the odium of these inventions by alledgeing the Authority of Auncient Philosophers and Fathers, and therefore the Defense is longer then otherwise it had needed to have been, besides other Digressions I thought fitt to make which are not so speculative as practicall, which liberty I take, as haveing a designe so farre as I can to engage others to be good rather then Wise, or to ostentate my own skill and wisedome to the world. I am glad your Ladiship can so easily reade them and so readilyunderstand my Cabbalas with the
Defense. “

In this cauldron, the Great Reformation’s Scholars had learned new truths and the Bible once again took precedence, being gleaned for the knowledge of the most High. Many of the reformers turned to the Sephardic Rabbis (cabbalists) as they tried to restore the practices of the primitive church.

This is reflected in the reformer John Calvin in two ways. First, it is reflected in his writing style which can be described as Midrashic. Secondly is his emphasis on governance based in the Jewish Law.

According to D.P. Walker in “The Ancient Theology: Studies in Christian Platonism from the Fifteenth to the Eighteenth Century”, until 1614 the theology derived from Hermeticism was thought to be the most ancient and from it all the worlds religions and philosophies sprang up. “Thrice Great Hermes” was as thought to be an Egyptian Magician living before the time of Moses and understanding all the mysteries of God. It was the scholar Isaac Casaubon who proved otherwise. Hermetic philosophy was a product of Neo Platonism of the first four centuries

Hermeticism although shown to be fraudulent in its origins, a developing affectation from the second century forward had already become ingrained and accepted.Instead of it looking forward to the Logos and the wisdom and mysticism of Neo Platonism, it instead took from the older philosophies in a newer combination.